Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators Detained During Columbia University Protest in US

Dozens of pro-Palestinian activists staged a protest at Columbia University in the United States, drawing significant attention and prompting a police response. The demonstrators, affiliated with the student group Columbia University Apartheid Divest, took over Butler Library, one of the university's main academic buildings. Videos posted on social media captured the protestors standing on tables, chanting slogans, and beating drums as part of their demonstration against the university’s alleged financial ties to Israel.

According to the organizers, more than 100 individuals flooded into the library and symbolically renamed it the "Basel Al-Araj Popular University," in honor of Basel Al-Araj, a Palestinian writer and activist who was killed by Israeli forces in 2017. The group declared that their protest was a response to Columbia's continued "funding and profiting from imperialist violence." They stated that the university’s complicity in such actions justified their civil disobedience, adding that increased repression would only intensify their resistance.

The demonstration comes amid heightened tensions over Israel's ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has sparked student-led protests on over 100 college campuses across the U.S. since 2023. Columbia University, one of the most prestigious institutions in the country, has become a focal point for such activism.

University acting president Claire Shipman condemned the protest in strong terms, calling it "completely unacceptable." She said the demonstrators had refused repeated requests from officials to identify themselves and vacate the premises, which led the university to involve law enforcement. Shipman emphasized that such disruptions were violations of the university’s policies, especially as students are preparing for final exams. She noted that Columbia would not tolerate interference with academic activities.

Shipman also addressed concerns about hate and safety on campus, stating that Columbia "strongly condemns violence, antisemitism, and all forms of hate and discrimination." She confirmed that during the confrontation, two Columbia Public Safety Officers were injured when individuals tried to force their way into the building.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) released a statement confirming that several demonstrators who ignored verbal orders to disperse were arrested. Local news outlet 1010 WINS reported that approximately 80 protestors were taken into custody.

This latest incident underscores the ongoing unrest surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict and its impact on U.S. academic institutions. Student activists across the country have increasingly turned to direct action and demonstrations to demand that universities sever financial or institutional ties with Israel. Columbia University has been at the heart of these debates, serving both as a platform for activism and a battleground for broader discussions on freedom of expression, institutional accountability, and global human rights.

The university has faced criticism from both sides—activists accusing it of complicity in international violence, and others accusing it of failing to maintain order and protect students from discrimination. The outcome of this latest protest, and the legal consequences for those arrested, may shape how future campus demonstrations are conducted and policed.